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Tomato feeding question for short plants but already with flowers

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newspud9:
My Moneymaker indeterminate tomato plants have started producing flowers but are only 2' high ...which I actually think is a bit short (they're usually double that before there's any sign of flowers).  I incorporate nitrogen for green growth at the start and then change to something like tomorite when the flowers appear.   Do you think I should do that now, or keep using the high nitrogen feed to get some more height...or even use both?   Thanks for all the advice

saddad:
Most of my varieties have started flowering with the hot weather, and most aren't knee high yet... if the fruit set switch to the "Tomorite" style feed, they will continue to grow... until the weather turns... only about three months left!

gray1720:
I'm so glad it's not just me with dinky tomato plants still! They're all potted on in their final spots now, but only the Captain Beefheart are really motoring yet.

Tee Gee:

--- Quote ---I'm so glad it's not just me with dinky tomato plants
--- End quote ---

I have noticed a similar situation with my plants.

Over the last few years, I have been noticing subtle differences with plants & seed germination.

It might only be my imagination, or I am having another of my ageing moments, but I have been thinking that the changes in weather patterns may have been having an effect particularly, with the 'reproduction cycle' on what might be termed 'indigenous' plant life like the stuff I have been cultivating for the last fifty odd years.

Perhaps we will have to find/breed new cultivars suitable for our hanged climate!

I have mentioned it before with my 'spring bulb collection' that I am getting fewer flowers in successive years, and I am putting this down to the 'die back' process after flowering. In the past, I would allow my plants to take up to 5-6 weeks to die back after flowering, but over the last few seasons they have died back in a couple of weeks after flowering because of the unusually warm weather we are now getting at this time of the year.

In my opinion, this is not long enough to recharge the bulbs in preparation for next year's flowering, hence the abundance of blind plants!

Then last year for the first time ever my Apple crop was virtually non-existent and my Pears didn't fare much better.

This I put down to pollination or lack of it!

Again the non-seasonal weather seems to have played its part in so far as April and May have swapped weather patterns i.e. the last few Aprils have been quite warm then May become quite old and this (again in my opinion) is playing havoc with the insect life, particularly the 'pollinators'

I have noticed that the pollinators are coming out of hibernation because of the warm weather in April, only to find there is not much feeding material about because the plants have yet to come into flower, meaning, many must be going hungry and dying off!

The few pollinators that remain may be getting killed of with the unseasonal weather in May (too cold), meaning they are not around to pollinate plants when needed!

Hence, my lack of fruit.

My thoughts are now going to seed production, and it begs the question in my mind 'are the summer plants being affected by poor or non-existent pollination' ?

If this is the case, are the seeds that are being produced being altered in some way that might be causing the stunted growth, as for example with the Tomatoes you are growing this year?

I have noticed in previous years that when the weather in the growing season is non-seasonal, we sometimes get poor to indifferent result from plants the following year, i.e. the year the seeds were produced!

Then dare I mention it! 'Compost Quality' for example the pH may be out of kilter meaning the plants do not perform so well, and this combined with what I have mentioned above, I would say; "fings are not what they used to be!

Note: As I have mentioned a few times, these comments are only the opinion/ramblings/observations of some would say; a senile old gardener and perhaps should just be ignored!

I will leave this to you guys to judge! :angel11:

Tg

saddad:
A lot to think about there TeeGee, we save our own seeds, of tomatoes and other "easy" to save plants. Two years ago we had heritage peas 6' tall by now (pictures to prove it and remind me) germination has been erratic and growth very slow... only one row has managed to get above 3' so far.

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